THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL STUDIES ISSN 2321 - 9203 www.theijhss.com THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL STUDIES Migration and Displacement Refugee Crisis: A Study of the Chakma Refugees in Mizoram Suparna Nandy Kar Ph.D. Scholar, Diphu Campus, Assam University, Assam Dr. K.C. Das Associate Professor, Diphu Campus, Assam University, Assam Abstract: The Chakmas constitute one of the ethnic groups of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (C H T’s), where 98 percent of the inhabitants of the hill region are the indigenous people of Mongoloid stock until the Muslim infiltrators swamped over the area. The Chakma ethnic groups are the most dominant and important tribe. They are Buddhist by faith. According to Encyclopaedia of South Asian Tribes Chakmas have descended from King Avirath of the Sakya dynasty. They belong to a tribal clan of the Tibe to - Burman race and came to the area when Burmans destroyed the Arakan Kingdom. Arakanese dissidents who were against the Burmese administration took shelter as refugees in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. After the partition of the country the C H T was annexed to Pakistan .Some of them stood against the policy of the Government of Pakistan because they were suppressed and many of them had to cross the border and enter into India and Burma for the protection of their lives and family. Later on , Pakistan Government took the policy of setting up of a Hydro Electric Project over the river Karnaphuli in the C H T. The high water level of Kaptai Hydro Electric Project inundated a vast Chakma inhabited area. So thousands of the Chakma families were uprooted and they had to take shelter by crossing the border and entered into India and Burma because many a times the Chakmas had to face the trouble torn situation in the C H T by a section of Muslim people and the Government there failed to protect them. The Chakmas started a movement for autonomy in the C H T areas of present Bangladesh. After a prolong movement of the Chakmas, they got an autonomy in the C H T. During the movement of the Chakmas for autonomy, the then Government of Pakistan (present Bangladesh) adopted suppressive and oppressive measures on the Chakmas. As a result of which many Chakma people left their original homeland and came to India, mainly in the North Eastern States like Assam , Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya etc. A large number of Chakma people took shelter in the Refugee Camps in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Mizoram. They started refugee life here and many of them settled here.-They lived a long refugee life which ruined their identity and rich tradition. They are affected by poverty , illiteracy , unemployment and political Identity crisis in North East of India .The Government of India , the Government of Mizoram , The Human rights commission , Various social organisations, Supreme Court ,NGOs and various other organisations and Individuals should come forward to their help .They are still living a refugee life without any rights and facilities. Keywords: C A D C (Chakma Autonomous District Council) C H T (Chittagong Hill Tracts) N E F A (North East Frontier Agency) N G O (Non Governmental Organization) K H E P (Kaptai Hydro Electric Project) 1. Introduction The Chakmas constitute one of the ethnic groups of the Chittagong Hill Tracts(CHT’s), where 98 percent of the inhabitants of the hill region are the indigenous people of Mongoloid stock until the Muslim infiltrators swamped over the area. The Chakma ethnic groups are the most dominant and important tribe. They are Buddhist by faith. The homelands of the Chakmas cover the surface area of 5093 square miles. The hill tracts constitute 10 percent of the total area of Bangladesh. The Chittagong Hill Tracts is divided into three Districts with Headquarters of Rangamati, Bandarban and Kharagchari. They have been granted Autonomous District Councils with limited autonomy. The Chakmas live mainly in the Kassalong and upper and middle Karnaphuli river valley. Origin of the name: -According to Encyclopaedia of South Asian Tribes Chakmas have descended from King Avirath of the Sakya dynasty. But another view is that they have been migrated from east to Tripura, Mizoram, ArunachalPradesh, Meghalaya and Assam. The word ‘Chakma’ or ‘Chukma’ was spelt by the British scholars is a generic term to a predominant hill tribe of the CHT dwelling in the corridor link of Aracans. In British census records these ethnic groups have been grouped together under a common name. It was known as ‘CHAKMATSAK’. The word ‘CHAWNGMA’ or ‘SWANGMA’ or ‘CHAKMA’ means people of Tsak or Thek clan originated from Burmese race. They belong to a tribal clan of the Tibeto - Burman race and came to the area when Burmans destroyed the Arakan Kingdom. Arakanese dissidents who were against the Burmese administration took shelter as refugees in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. After the partition of the country the CHT was annexed to Pakistan.Some of them stood against the policy of the Government of Pakistan because they were suppressed and many of them had to cross the border and enter into India and Burma for the protection of their lives and family. Later on, Pakistan Government took the policy of setting up of a Hydro Electric Project over the river 1 Vol 6 Issue 9 September, 2018 THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL STUDIES ISSN 2321 - 9203 www.theijhss.com Karnaphuli in the CHT. It was completed in 1960. The high water level of Kaptai Hydro Electric Project inundated a vast Chakma inhabited area. So, thousands of the Chakma families were uprooted and they had to take shelter by crossing the border and entered into India and Burma because many a times the Chakmas had to face the trouble torn situation in the CHT by a section of Muslim people and the Government there failed to protect them. The Chakmas started a movement for autonomy in the CHT areas of present Bangladesh. After a prolong movement of the Chakmas, they got an autonomy in the CHT. During the movement of the Chakmas for autonomy, the then Government of Pakistan (presentBangladesh) adopted suppressive and oppressive measures on the Chakmas. As a result of which many Chakma people left their original homeland and came to India, mainly in the North Eastern States like Assam,ArunachalPradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya etc. A large number of Chakma people took shelter in the Refugee Camps in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Mizoram. They started refugee life here and many of them settled here. Settlement in Mizoram: -In Mizoram, a large number of the Chakmas settled there as a permanent resident when the Mizoram Government accorded settlement as permanent residents. They have been given citizenship there in Mizoram. The Government granted them Scheduled Tribe Status. Mass infiltration of the Chakmas into Mizoram resulted to their claim for social status and political autonomy in Mizoram which has created socio-economic and political tension between the two communities (Mizos and Chakmas). In recent years, the issue of Chakma ethnic tribe in the 21st Century has earned name in the national and international arena. This ethnic group is one of the most dominant and important tribes. They are Buddhist by faith. This work is an exploration of the political activities of the Chakma ethnic tribes in Mizoram of India. It is believed the CHT- Chittagong Hill Tracts was the homeland of the Chakmas before living in the state of Mizoram and elsewhere in India. In India, they mostly inhabit in the North Eastern parts including Mizoram, Tripura, ArunachalPradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya. India being a federal state all these states witness problem of the Chakmas in the way or another. It is believed that the belief of the Chakma Community has become a problem in many regions. After Partition the CHT was annexed to Pakistan. Some of them stood against Government policy but they were suppressed and many of them had to cross the Border and enter into India. Later on, Pakistan Government took the policy of setting up a Hydro-Electric Project on the river Karnaphuli in the CHT. High water level of Kaptai Hydro-Electric Project inundated a vast Chakma inhabited areas. So, thousands of the Chakmas were uprooted and they had to take shelter by crossing the border and entering India. However, the condition of the Chakmas after crossing the border remain the same when theylanded in the Lushai Hills (now Mizoram). The Chakma ethnic tribe are hated much by the Mizos because they are adherent to Buddhism. As the Mizos were converted to Christianity long back, they developed hatred towards other religions. The Mizos always try to convince people to embrace Christianity. It has become difficult for them to digest a non-Christian community in an overwhelming Christian state. The ChristianMizos tried to convert the Chakmas into Christianity. Huge amount of money is spending by Baptist Missionaries to convert the Buddhist Chakmas into Christianity. The Chakmas are hated in Mizoram only because they are Buddhis. 2. Refugee 2.1. Meaning of the Term The term refugee is earmarked for those who have left their country of origin. It is important to mention that between 1922 to 1926 under the auspices of the League of Nations, several treaties created certain obligations on the contracting states, making it necessary to define the term “refugee”. But even before that the League of Nations Treaties initially defined the term refugee as a category or group of persons who were, a) without their country of origin and b) without the protection of the government of their home state. The period of 1920 s and 1930 s was the period of mass movement of refugees across Europe.